The invention relates to a pointer instrument having a pointer shaft that deflects an essentially transparent pointer, having an illuminating means that radiates directly into a flag of the pointer and, having a carrier which is fastened to the pointer shaft. The carrier holds the pointer and has contact surfaces for making contact with the illuminating means, having a connecting sleeve that has connecting contacts for a connection to a power supply, and having conductors to connect the connecting contacts and the contact surfaces.
Such a pointer instrument, in which the illuminating means, together with the pointer, is fastened to the carrier and radiates directly into the pointer flag, is known. In the case of the known pointer instruments, the carrier has an electrically conductive inner body that is connected to one pole of the illuminating means, and an electrically conductive outer body that is connected to the other pole of the illuminating means, the inner body and outer body being separated from each other by insulation. The connecting sleeve has an inner body, which is connected to the pointer shaft, and an outer body, these being separated from each other by an insulation layer and each having connecting contacts. The power is supplied to the connecting contacts of the connecting sleeve through two spiral spring strips, which are constructed in the manner of a sandwich with the interposition of an insulating layer. The inner body and the outer body of the connecting sleeve are each connected to one of the spring strips. The electrical connection between the carrier and the connecting sleeve is achieved via the pointer shaft and via a compression spring arranged between the outer bodies of the carrier and of the connecting sleeve.
The disadvantage with such a pointer instrument is that the connecting sleeve and the carrier consist of very many components, which are complicated to produce and to assemble. Furthermore, there is an unnecessarily large number of contact points between the power supply and the illuminating means, and these impair the functional reliability of the pointer instrument. Since the compression spring forces the carrier and the connecting sleeve away from each other, these must be connected particularly firmly to the pointer shaft, in order to ensure the permanent supply of electric power to the illuminating means.